Steerable Detail Camera Modules for Wide-Area Aerial Imaging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing aerial camera systems face challenges in efficiently capturing overlapping images with sufficient redundancy for accurate orthomosaic creation, especially at higher altitudes, where maintaining ground sampling distance requires larger camera sensors or more cameras, leading to reduced survey efficiency.
Innovation Solution
The system employs four steerable detail camera modules with a beam-steering mechanism, including a first steerable mirror that tilts and spins, providing a wider effective field of view and angular motion compensation to ensure consistent pointing direction, thereby improving image capture efficiency and reducing motion blur.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the aircraft operates at a higher altitude to increase the view of the ground, then survey efficiency is improved, but maintaining ground sampling distance requires larger camera image sensors or more cameras
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a steerable camera system with beam-steering mechanisms that dynamically adjust the camera's pointing direction during flight. This allows a single camera to capture multiple ground areas by changing its orientation, effectively replacing the need for multiple fixed cameras or larger sensors while maintaining operational efficiency at higher altitudes
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces temporal multiplexing of the camera's field of view through steering mechanisms, adding a time dimension to the spatial coverage. By rapidly steering the camera to different angles and positions during exposure, a single camera module achieves the coverage that would otherwise require multiple cameras, thus resolving the contradiction between survey efficiency and device complexity
2Measurement precision
If larger camera image sensors or more cameras are used to maintain ground sampling distance at higher altitude, then image quality is maintained, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The steerable camera system dynamically adjusts its pointing direction to maintain consistent ground sampling distance across different ground areas. By actively steering the camera to optimal angles rather than using larger fixed sensors, the system achieves uniform image quality without increasing sensor size or camera quantity
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the operational parameters of the camera by varying its pointing direction and steering angle rather than changing physical sensor parameters. This allows the same sensor to achieve different ground sampling distances by adjusting its orientation, eliminating the need for larger sensors while maintaining measurement precision
3Productivity
If beam-steering mechanisms are added to provide wider effective field of view, then survey efficiency improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The beam-steering mechanism serves multiple functions: it provides wider field of view coverage, enables angular motion compensation, and allows a single camera to perform the work of multiple fixed cameras. This multi-functionality justifies the added complexity by delivering survey efficiency improvements that would otherwise require an entire array of cameras
Solution Approach 2:
The beam-steering mechanism acts as an intermediary between the fixed camera and the moving ground, enabling the camera to effectively track and capture different ground areas without physically moving the entire camera assembly. This intermediary component provides the flexibility needed for efficient wide-area surveying while isolating the complexity from the main camera system
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This configuration enhances survey efficiency by allowing for increased altitude and reduced camera spacing while maintaining accurate orthomosaic creation, with improved image quality and reduced processing time due to higher overlap and redundancy in image capture.
Implementation Method 1
a beam-steering mechanism in an optical path of the detail camera module whereby the pointing direction of the detail camera is time-multiplexed to provide a wider effective field of view, the beam-steering mechanism comprising a first steerable mirror. The first steerable mirror may be adapted to tilt with respect to an optical axis of the detail camera module to effect beam steering.
Data Source
AI summary
A system for capturing aerial images, the system comprising four steerable detail camera modules, each steerable detail camera module comprising a detail camera and a beam-steering mechanism in an optical path of the detail camera module whereby the pointing direction of the detail camera is time-multiplexed to provide a wider effective field of view, the beam-steering mechanism comprising a first steerable mirror.